The many faces of procrastination

Just when I think I’m past procrastination, I realize that I’ve discovered a whole new procrastination repertoire. These include:

• Researching how to become a forensic scientist, due to a sudden and compelling urge to return to grad school, gain a bit more education, and get a real job. (To be fair, this sudden turn of events was inspired by reading a terrific and inspiring interview with suspense writer Lisa Black, who is a forensic scientist by day as well as an author. It was so inspiring, I was overwhelmed by the urge to be her for a moment. To the immense relief of my family, it passed; although the University of Florida online program looked pretty cool….)
• Organizing my Google bookmarks
• Researching natural nail care recipes (not sure how I got off on that particular tangent)
• Applying for writing jobs on Craigslist (even though I have as much work as I can do right now.)
• Brainstorming new story ideas (which was more of a reward for getting some work done. At first, at least.)
• Blogging…although that counts as real writing. Sort of.

How does the need to procrastinate catch me by surprise so many times?

Or maybe the better question is this: when I find myself slipping sideways into procrastination territory, is it a sign of something off-balance in my life? If so, what?

My hypothesis is that the latter is true, a hypothesis supported by a recent bout of insomnia and that fact that it was cured by working on ideas for a new book. I’ve spent so much time creative writing lately, maybe I’m in withdrawal, now that I’ve returned to projects that aren’t quite so intense. That is, projects that feel a bit more like real work. That’s not the entire answer, though, because I continue to struggle with this strange procrastination bug.

Maybe it’s that my critique group is discussing my latest novel this Friday? The one that all my hopes for publication currently rest upon? Nah, that couldn’t be it.

What triggers procrastination in your writing life? And how do you get past it? My usual tricks aren’t 100% successful.

:) Cheryl